The true Heian era is not only about the elegance of the nobility, but also the suffering of the people at the bottom

Rowan 2022-03-15 08:01:01

"Doctor Sansho" is the third film I watched at this festival. Although it is a black and white film from 1954, it can be shot so delicately. Shots and composition are perfect. The acting of the old actors is absolutely superb. Obviously it is a long and complex story, but it is very clear and complete. The background of the story is set in the Heian period in Japan. Most of the works that I usually see about that era describe the elegant life of the nobles, but few of them expose the pain and misfortune of the people at the bottom like this film. The peasant class at that time was already very poor, let alone the slave class. The protagonist of the story suddenly changed from being a nobleman at the beginning to a slave at the bottom, and was forced to work non-stop every day until his death. From this perspective, the story deeply depicts the ruthlessness of the exploiting class and the hellish life of the people at the bottom. The director has realistically restored the misery of that era. Although the protagonist was finally reunited with his mother and son, he has gone through ups and downs, and things are different. In the film, the song that the mother sang because she missed her children made me feel heartbroken. After watching the movie, I suddenly thought of the second game in the distant time and space series. The background era of the game also mentioned the profound contradictions between the nobles and the people at the bottom of the Heian period, and even the religious thoughts of the Pure Land of the End Times were born. Fortunately, there are at least a few good people in the aristocracy whose conscience is still alive in the film, which helps the protagonist a lot. Therefore, this film is not only perfect from the perspective of artistic appreciation, but also expresses a profoundly profound and historical theme.

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Extended Reading

Sansho the Bailiff quotes

  • Taro: Even children as young as you are sold and bought, treated like animals, and nobody questions it. What a horrible world.

  • Taro: [to Zushio] I found that humans have little sympathy for things that don't directly concern them. They're ruthless. Unless those hearts can be changed, the world you dream of cannot come true. If you wish to live honestly with your conscience, keep close to the Buddha.